1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to shelving units, and more particularly to tapering-depth shelving units for use behind doors.
2. Description of Related Art
In 2008, according to a United Nations report, more than half of the world's population lived in urban areas, a first in the course of human history. As time goes on, both the overall population and the percentage of the population living in urban areas are projected to grow. One result of that growth is that living space is increasingly at a premium, particularly in urban areas, and living spaces are becoming commensurately smaller.
As more people live in smaller spaces, they face the challenge of fitting themselves and their possessions into those smaller spaces. Unfortunately, many conventional types of furnishings are not easily adapted to smaller spaces, and it can be difficult to use all of the available space with conventional furnishings.
Shelving units, such as bookshelves, are common and often indispensable places to store possessions. Although some shelving units are designed to be freestanding, most shelving units are designed to be placed against walls; therefore, the number of shelving units that can be placed in a space may be at least somewhat limited by the amount of available wall space.
The task of placing shelving units is further complicated by the fact that in most typical arrangements, some space, like the space behind or immediately proximate to a door, is generally considered to be unusable space, because a conventional shelving unit or another piece of furniture placed behind a door has a great likelihood of blocking the door entirely or preventing it from opening fully.